New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-24
cOuJCAL CONFLICT-"G. A. R."

Now that the battle over The TRIBUNE'S
modest. Tranquil and successful endeavor to OBJ
tain from the veterans of the Grand Army their
individual opinions on the subject of pension
legislation has spread over the country, it is
well to inquire in the interest of peace and
pood-fellowship who the antagonists are. 1t is
easy TO distinguish the leaders on one side.
They are those devoted friends and close con-
fidants of the soldiers who in their worship of
"refOrmn in general and the present Admins
tratlon in particular were lately proclaim
ing that the soldiers themselves despised the
Dependent Pensions bill and rejoiced IN the
veto. They are naturally unwilling that their
prophetic tenderness should lose its delicate
bloom BIZ being subjected to any rude and I'M
hallowed test, and so they are all up in arms
from Alaska to the Dry Tortugas, and the
battle wakes fierce and hot. But whom are they
fighting7 Certainly not HE TRIBUNE We
are mere spectators, looking on with interest
and amusement, and waiting quietly for the
smoke to lift, so that we can see who has been
killed. Moreover the soldiers themselves are
taking no hand in the conflict, but are sending
in their replies to our questions as fast as we
can conveniently take care of them.
1t is plain enough to see whom the reformeIs
suppose their enemy to be. They are one and
all absolutely certain that they are lighting
"that man Blaine" Any movement which is
likely to elicit an expression of the popular
will on any subject must in the very nature OF
things be movement in his interest, to be
headed off by them ut any cost. This accounts
for the fury and the wind, and if perchance.
when this cruel war is over, it should be found
that the casualties are all among themselves it
would account for that also. And yet they are
objects of pity as well as of contempt. They
scarcely realize that they are lunatics They
have dim idea that they are keeping their
rudder true
THE TRIBUNE, as we have said, occupies the
position of a cheerful, dislnterested and mag
unanimous spectator; but it is fact that we
had some share in the prelimlnaries, and for
the sake of historical truth we don't mind tell
ing again just what that share was. Somany peO-
pie had been rising up to proclaim vociferously
the views of the soldiers about pensions that 1t
seemed to us worth while to take the trouble
of ascertaining what their views actually were,
and, in accordance with our practice in such
cases. we perpetrated the enormity OF going
straight to headquarters. The Commandments
Chief of the Grand Army. In referring to bis
General Orders No. II, Instructing the mem
bers to answer no questions. and 70 the decision
of the Executive Committee of the Council
sustaining that order, is reported to have
said that he "knOws nothing of THT
TRIBUNE's efforts or desires" 1t was Q
cruel thing thus to misrepresent gallant and
| manned veteran like General Fairchid. We
| possess the best possible proof that he cannot
have said any such thing; FOR when we had de-
termined to get the individual opinions of thu
| soldiers on the subject under discussion. We
wrote directly to General Fairchild for n list o.
| the Grand Army Posts and for frank ex
preston of his own views about pensions IL
this letter we received, through his Adjutant-
General E. b. Gray. prompt and cordial re-
ply, saying that such list rs was essential t.
our purpose could be furnished from Head
quarters for the sum of $25. This was entirely
satisfactory, and having received the list ant
an authentic statemen of General Fairchildi
hearty support of the most liberal scheme O
pension legislation, we forwarded check TO
| the stipulated sum, and thus concluded thu
preliminary stage of the inquiry. Our circu
| lar request for similar expression from tn
rank and file followed in due course. And WI
take this opportunity to thank the member
OF the Grand Army for their prompt response
to our questions. These loyal and unselfisl
citizens are initiating the courtesy of theI
commander in chief by a frank avowal o
their personal and individual views wlthou
the least fear of being misrepresented by TIL
TRIBUNE, but vastly amused at the antics o
their volunteer mOuthpieces. They understan,
perfectly that The TRIBUNE does not want
\ narfioap .,ffa or official nrOnuncia
mento, and they share our conviction that tn
country. having been forced to hear tn
professional rawlings from the reform tripod
would gladly listen to the soldiers views iron
the soldiers lips
| REVOLUTION IN ORGANIZED LABOR